Loving and Living Life

Sladen's first picture!

Just hanging out!

Unhappy boy!

Sladen Lee made his grand debut on March 3, 2009 (square root day) at 0915 weighing 8 lbs. 2 oz. and 20 inches long! He has blond hair with a red tint and blue eyes! His eyes are a lot lighter blue than Kenan's were so I am hoping they stay blue! He is a very sweet baby!

So to start at the beginning! Monday evening around 5 or 6 o'clock I decided I would start timing my contractions! They were somewhat intense but I had been having contractions in the evenings for several nights so I didn't really think anything about it! The contractions started at 15 minutes apart but they were progressively getting closer together! Once they were about 5 minutes apart I decided to go take a shower and get ready "just in case"! After a couple hours of the contractions being about 5 minutes apart I decided we should head to the hospital! So mother and I headed to the hospital about 2000 that night! To make a long story short they evaluated me for a while and decided that I was not in "active labor" and sent me home! I had a doctor's appointment the next day at 0815 and the doc told me that if I was 4 cm then they would probably admit me! So mother and I went all the way back home at around 2200! We were quite incredulous that they sent us home but we went nonetheless! I tried to get some rest but the contractions were very intense by this point and laying down just made them worse! So I decided to watch the "Bachelor" that I had DVR'd from earlier that night to try to take my mind off of it! By the time the "Bachelor" was over I was in intense pain! Apparently mother heard my groans and decided we were going back to the hospital and were not going to be sent home again! So off to the hospital we went again around 0445 Tuesday morning!

Being monitored!

On the side there is this whole other story going on! I had tried almost every way possible to get in touch with Goldie! Up to this point I had not heard anything back from him and I was getting worried that I was not going to be able to get in touch with him! As mother and I were walking out of the door at 0445 the phone rings and it was Goldie! So we came up with a plan for him to call me and get my room number!

We got back to the hospital and they evaluated me again and decided to admit me! I was 4 cm and had progressed more than when I was there earlier! After a couple of hours they moved me to the "birthing suite"! At this point I had asked for an epidural once again crushing my dream of having totally natural childbirth! Immediately after I got the epidural, the nurse checked and I had progressed to 8 cm (all on my own, I might add)! Had I known that before the epidural I might have tried to go all on my own... anyway, I digress! By the way, Goldie had called and he was on the phone from this point on! The doc came in a little while later and checked me, and I was 10 cm! He said he would come back in a of couple hours, and I would have this baby! He did say he really didn't think it would take that long! Sure enough within the hour I was pushing! Goldie was on speaker phone coaching me through the pushing! Three contractions and 12 minutes later he was born! Since we didn't know what we were having, I got to announce to Goldie that it was a boy! I got to announce to everyone else that his name was Sladen Lee!

Talking to Goldie after Sladen is born!

It was all very surreal! I was so thankful that Goldie was able to participate even if it was only over the phone! Mother was multi-tasking by taking video, holding my hand, and cutting the umbilical cord! I couldn't have done it without her there with all of her help! Goldie was able to stay on the phone for all the measuring, weighing, and first bath! The "Air Boss" was amazing and allowed Goldie to use his personal phone for the exciting event!

While it was not ideal for Goldie not to be here for the birth, it was easy to see how God worked out the little things so that he could "witness" the birth of his second-born son!

Several people have asked how we came up with the name Sladen Lee! I ran across Sladen several years ago in a baby name book (I think)! I tucked it away in my back pocket! When we were trying to come up with names I mentioned it to Goldie and he liked it, too! That was the name that stuck! Lee is my mom and Goldie's mom's middle name so it was an easy choice!